Collapsible folding carton with odd number of uncreased side walls



May 18, 1965 R. M. HURLEY 3,134,146

COLLAPSIBLE FOLDING CARTON WITH ODD NUMBER OF UNCREASED SIDE WALLS Filed Aug. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 18, 1965 R. M. HURLEY 3,184,146

COLLAPSIBLE FOLDING CARTON WITH ODD NUMBER OF INCREASED SIDE WALLS Filed Aug. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 0 3,184,146 COLLAPSIBLE FOLDING CARTGN WITH ODD NUMBER (3F UNCREASED SIDE WALLS Robert M. Hurley, Lexington, Mass, assignor to Coutainer Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., 21 corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 390,417 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-41) This invention relates to folding cartons, and more particularly to a collapsible carton having an odd number of uncreased or unscored side walls.

The invention comprehends a collapsible tubular carton having an uneven number of side walls none of which are marked with visible crease or fold lines.

Although there is no problem in providing a collapsible tubular carton with an even number of uncreased side walls, it is impossible to completely collapse a carton having an odd number of side Walls without providing for the division of one of the side walls into a pair of sec- A tions joined by a crease or fold line.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a collapsible odd number sided carton wherein none of the side walls have visible crease or fold lines.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in a carton of the type described, of a composite side wall having a pair of overlapping inner and outer panels with the former being divided by a crease line into a pair of sections one of which is secured to the inner surface of the latter.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a folding carton embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary end view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1 with the carton being shown in only a partially erected condition;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the carton illustrated in FIGURE 1, but shown in a collapsed condition with portions of the structure broken away; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton of FIGURE 1 may be formed, with the outside surface of the blank being shown.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that the folding carton indicated generally at C in FIGURE 1, in the completely erected condition, may be formed from a unitary blank of folding paperboard, indicated generally at B in FIGURE 5 of the drawings.

Still referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the carton includes a plurality of side walls it 12, 14, 16, and 18, which are hingedly interconnected along parallel fold or hinge lines 19 extending transversely of the blank and longitudinally of the carton to form a tubular structure closed at the ends by a pair of similar end walls, indicated generally at 20. Although the carton illustrated in the drawing and described in this specification is a fivesided carton, it will be understood that this invention relates to all tubular cartons of this general type which have an uneven number of side walls, and the concept embodied in this invention is not limited to a five-sided carton.

As best seen in FIGURE 5, all of the side walls are of the same length and are preferably of the same width, although it is not essential that all of the side Walls be "ice of the same width to embody the concept of this invention. It will further be seen from an examination of FIGURE 2, that one of the side walls, indicated generally at 10, is a composite side wall formed from a pair of similar overlapped outer and inner panels 30 and 32, respectively, which are located at opposite ends of the blank. Outer side wall panel 30 is a fiat rectangular one-piece panel which is uninterrupted by any crease or score lines; whereas, inner side wall panel 32 is of the same shape and dimensions as outer side wall panel 30 but is divided into a pair of similar first and second panel sections 32:: and 3222, respectively, by a crease or fold line 33 which extends longitudinally of inner side wall panel 32, approximately midway between the sides of panel 32, and transversely of the blank, in parallel relationship with hinge lines 19.

Referring now to FIGURES 4 and 5, it will be seen that outward section 3211 of inner side wall panel 32, located at the end edge of the blank, is adhesively secured as at 34 to the inside surface of the corresponding portion of outer side wall panel 30; whereas, side wall inner panel inward section 3219 is free from adhesive connection to outer side wall panel 30.

When the carton is in the erected condition, as best seen in FIGURE 2, with the outer and inner side wall panels 30 and 32 disposed in overlapped relationship they may be further interconnected by means of a male locking tab 36, hinged to and projecting outwardly from the free edge of panel 30, which is adapted to be removably received within a complementary female locking slit 38, located on the hinge line 19 which interconnects side wall panel 18 and panel section 321) of the inner side Wall panel 32. The manner of eliecting this connection is best illustrated in FIGURE 3.

Thus, by this arrangement it will be seen that the inner and outer panels may be glued together by the carton manufacturer, who normally makes the manufacturers joint in a collapsible folding carton, and shipped to the user in a collapsed condition as shown in FIGURE 4.

In order to set up the carton the locking tab 36 is inserted into the locking slit 3%, as shown in FIGURE 3, and after the carton is filled the ends of the carton are closed by the user.

As best seen in FIGURE 5 each of the end walls 20 includes a primary or main end wall panel 44 hingedly attached to the adjacent end edge of outer side wall panel 50, and a pair of locking flaps or tabs 42, hingedly attached to two of the side edges of panel 40. Additionally, two other side wall panels 12 and 16 may be provided with closure flaps 44 and 46, respectively.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular end wall structural arrangement herein disclosed, as the end wall arrangement may be modified depending upon the number of sides of the carton. The essential feature of this invention resides in the provision of the composite side wall formed from inner and outer panels the inner panel of which is divided by a score line into a pair of sections only one of which is secured to the inside surface of the outer side wall panel. By this novel arrangement it is possible to provide a collapsible carton having an odd number of sides none of which are marked with a crease or score line which might possibly mar or depreciate the beauty of any art work or printing which is normally used to decorate the side walls of folding cartons used in the packaging industry.

I claim:

1. A collapsible folding carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, comprising:

(a) an uneven number of side walls of substantially the same length hingedly attached to each other along adjacent side edges on parallel hinge lines to form a tubular structure;

(b) one of said side walls including a pair of sub- 3 a r stantially co-extensive side wall inner and outer panels formed from opposite end portions of the blank;

(c) each of said panels having a free side edge and being hingedly attached along its Opposite side edge to an adjacent wall of the carton; (d) said outer panel being uncreased and disposed to completely overlie said inner panel;- (e) said inner panel being divided by a fold line disposed between and parallel to the side edges of'said inner panel, into an outward section, located adjacent the free side edge of said inner panel, and an inward section, located between said outward section and the adjacent side wall, to accommodate collapsing of said tubular structure;

(1) said outward section being adhesively secured to an adjacent overlying portion of said outer panel;

(g) said outer panel having hinged to and projecting from its free side'edge a male looking tab receivable within a complementary female locking slit, located at the hinge line connecting said inner panel and adjacent side wall, to maintain the carton in erected condition; and 7 (h) a pair of opposed end walls hinged to opposite ends of said structure.

2. A collapsible folding carton formed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, comprising:

(a) an uneven number of side walls hingedly attached to each other along adjacent Side edges on parallel hinge lines to form a tubular structure; r

(b) one of said sidewalls including a pair of side' wall inner and outer panels formed from opposite end portions of the blank;

(0) each of said panels having a free side edge and being hingedly attached along its opposite side edge to an adjacent wall of the carton;

(d) said outer panel being uncreased and disposed to completely overlie said inner panel;

(e) said inner panel being divided by a fold line disposed between and parallel to the side edges of said inner panel, into an outward section, located adjacent the free side edge of said inner panel, and an inward section, located between said outward section and the adjacent side wall, to accommodate collapsing of said tubular structure;

( said outward section being adhesively secured to an adjacent overlying portion of said outer panel; and

(g) means for maintaining the carton in erected condition.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 443,397 12/90 Mack 229-22.5 1,897,143 2/ 33 Powell 229-22'X 1,909,649 7 5/33' Bayless 229--17 X 1,996,778 4/3 5 Wellrnan 22922 X 2,517,552 8/50 Field.

FOREIGN PATENTS 463,204 2/50 Canada.

FRANKLIN 'r. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE FOLDING CARTON FORMED FROM A UNITARY BLANK OF FOLDABLE PAPERBOARD, COMPRISING: (A) AN UNEVEN NUMBER OF SIDE WALLS OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LENGTH HINGEDLY ATTACHED TO EACH OTHER ALONG ADJACENT SIDE EDGES ON PARALLEL HINGE LINES TO FORM A TUBULAR STRUCTURE; (B) ONE OF SAID SIDE WALLS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY CO-EXTENSIVE SIDE WALL INNER AND OUTER PANELS FORMED FROM OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF THE BLANK; (C) EACH OF SAID PANELS HAVING A FREE SIDE EDGE AND BEING HINGEDLY ATTACHED ALONG ITS OPPOSITE SIDE EDGE TO AN ADJACENT WALL OF THE CARTON; (D) SAID OUTER PANEL BEING UNCREASED AND DISPOSED TO COMPLETELY OVERLIE SAID INNER PANEL; (E) SAID INNER PANEL BEING DIVIDED BY A FOLD LINE DISPOSED BETWEEN AND PARALLEL TO THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID INNER PANEL, INTO AN OUTWARD SECTION, LOCATED ADJACENT THE FREE SIDE EDGE OF SAID INNER PANEL, AND AN INWARD SECTION, LOCATED BETWEEN SAID OUTWARD SECTION AND THE ADJACENT SIDE WALL, TO ACCOMMODATE COLLAPSING OF SAID TUBULAR STRUCTURE; (F) SAID OUTWARD SECTION BEING ADHESIVELY SECURED TO AN ADJACENT OVERLYING PORTION OF SAID OUTER PANEL; (G) SAID OUTER PANEL HAVING HINGED TO AND PROJECTING FROM ITS FREE SIDE EDGE A MALE LOCKING TAB RECEIVABLE WITHIN A COMPLEMENTARY FEMALE LOCKING SLIT, LOCATED AT THE HINGE LINE CONNECTED SAID INNER PANEL AND ADJACENT SIDE WALL, TO MAINTAIN THE CARTON IN ERECTED CONDITION; AND (H) A PAIR OF OPPOSED END WALLS HINGED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID STRUCTURE. 